Secrets
by Atari-chan
Summary: Remus has a secret. Sirius can be very persuasive. Slash.


_Summary: Remus has a secret. Sirius can be **very** persuasive._

Start Story:

"You should really talk to someone about it, Remus. It'll help," Tonks leaned against the doorframe of the room that had been designated Buckbeak's, her hands stuffed in her pockets as, for the third time in as many days, she found the ever oblivious object of her affections standing in silence next to the beast, stroking its feathers and looking thoroughly depressed.

"I can't talk to anyone," Remus told her, stroking Buckbeak's soft neck without looking up at his female companion.

"You could talk to me," Tonks didn't quite manage to hide how sad she left about his obvious lack of faith in her, but although he heard it, Remus had to struggle not to sound harsh as he turned to face her.

"I can't, Tonks, because every time I mention his name you burst into tears," he said it quietly and gently, but was unable to hide the implications of his words. Tonks just stared at him for a moment, before her eyes filled with tears, as Remus had known they would, and she fled from the room.

"You've never been good with girls…" Sirius commented as he joined his friend, having just passed an evidently emotional Tonks in the hallway. Remus gave an appreciative "hm" of amusement and smiled, albeit only slightly as her continued to pet the hippogriff that had, by that time, grown rather accustomed to his presence.

"I promise I won't cry if you try to tell _me_ what's bothering you," Sirius let his amusement show in his voice, but Remus, looking at him a little curiously since he had no idea how Sirius knew why Tonks had left in such a hurry, saw the sincerity in his eyes and smiled, genuinely this time.

"Thanks."

Sirius nodded a 'you're welcome' and returned the smile before joining his friend at Buckbeak's side, smoothing the feathers that Remus had ruffled when Sirius's first comment had made him jump.

"Seriously though…" he said softly, watching Remus, who was obviously avoiding his gaze, "you should probably get it out before the next full moon. You'll end up hurting yourself."

"I'm not dealing with any more than usual," Remus told him, sounding a little bitter without meaning to due to his resentment towards Sirius for not figuring things out before they became so painfully obvious. Since he still didn't look up, he missed Sirius's horrified look, but heard the sharp intake of breath and saw his hand freeze in shock and couldn't help but smile again, with a bitterness he knew Sirius didn't deserve but somehow couldn't help.

"Remus…" Sirius began, touching Remus's shoulder and feeling pain slice through him as his friend flinched away and walked to the other side of the room where he proceeded to stare intently out of the window. Remus's act of being absorbed in the sight, however, did not convince Sirius, as he knew that all that lay beyond the window was a muggle alleyway, three feet wide with a pile of black dustbin bags at the bottom.

"Moony…" he tried again, using the old nickname as he approached his friend slowly without failing to notice Remus's shiver as he felt the affection suggested in Sirius's voice. Sirius smiled slightly, having dealt with an upset/bitter Lupin on previous occasions and since learnt the best methods with which to convince him to reveal what was wrong.

"Sirius, don't," Remus pleaded, almost too quietly, and Sirius frowned. That was new…

"Remus, tell me…" Sirius placed his hands gently on his friend's shoulders, and although Remus tensed, he didn't move away, and Sirius began to massage his shoulders and neck, feeling him relax slowly into the touch although it was clearly against his will.

"It's nothing," Remus murmured eventually, cursing his weakness when it came to his old friend.

"It's not nothing, Moony. I believed it before, but not now." Sirius, sensing his friend's surprising reluctance, halted his massage and embraced the man in front of him, his arms wrapping protectively around his waist.

Remus shivered again as he felt Sirius's breath on his neck and pushed half-heartedly at Sirius's hands in a feeble attempt to escape, but his friend's grip only tightened.

"Please, don't," he begged, aware that, with continuation in the same vein, he wouldn't be able to hold out for much longer.

"Moony, please…" Sirius whispered, aware how sensitive Remus's hearing was as he moved a hand up to his friend's neck, and played softy with some of the lower strands of hair.

Remus whimpered, torn between the desire to finally say something and the need to keep it a secret, even from Sirius. **Especially** from Sirius…

But Gods, it was hard. Sirius knew exactly how to persuade him, could always coax an answer out even when faced with Remus's well-practiced willpower. He struggled pointlessly, but Sirius only held him tighter, more concerned than ever as he was forced to improvise; Remus had never resisted him for that long before. Tilting Remus's chin up with the ever-gentle touch of a close friend, he kissed softly at his throat, and felt him stop his resistance immediately, melting into the contact with a helpless moan. Sirius smiled at his success, but couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he considered how little respect he was showing for his friend's privacy. Still, if he had to choose between this and an increasingly bitter Remus… it was no contest really.

Targeting the sensitive spot just below his jaw, Sirius began to suck at the skin, closing his eyes to stop them focusing on a spot that was too close. As a result of this, however, he wasn't aware of the tears coursing silently down Remus's face until he felt wetness against his lips, and tasted salt.

"Remus?" he withdrew immediately, releasing his friend and pulling him away from the window to get a better look at him. Remus closed his eyes, but it did nothing to stop his tears, and Sirius, wrapping one arm around his waist, brushed his friend's hair out of his face in a tender gesture that only seemed to make things worse.

"Moony, please. You're scaring me…" a hint of desperation in his voice, he registered a dull ache starting in his chest, verifying just how guilty he felt for being the cause of Remus's sudden breakdown.

Remus gave a small sob, but opened his eyes, and Sirius felt like crying himself at the sight of those usually sparkling hazel eyes filled with tears. Feeling another pang of guilt, he conjured a tissue from thin air and brushed the remaining droplets away, although more fell to take their place almost immediately.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered, or at least he meant to. He had barely opened his mouth when Remus, his already brittle nerves finally snapping, stopped it with his own, initiating an admittedly wet but passionate kiss that Sirius, tactless as he was, almost pulled away from in pure shock and surprise. Remus, however, hadn't expected a response and, after a mere moment or two, broke the kiss and removed his hand, which had drifted at some point without either of them realising it, from Sirius's neck.

It transpired, however, that he needn't have bothered. After a few seconds of rather vacant silence, Sirius, having recovered adequately from the shock, rolled his eyes and reinitiated the contact, which started off softly, as Remus also needed a moment to recuperate, but which quickly progressed into a desperate attack on each others' mouths, trying to show years worth of emotion in the one gesture.

"Remus, mum wants to know if-" Bill Weasley, who had been staying for the week as he sorted a few things out with the other members of the Order- things that couldn't be discussed using methods as insecure as owls- looked around the door, and froze mid-sentence as he took in the sight before him, "Nevermind."

And, incredibly unnerved, Bill headed off down the hallway to tell Mrs Weasley that two more members of their group would not yet be requiring sustenance.

Sirius and Remus, who had pulled apart slightly as Bill had announced his presence, looked at the doorway for a moment longer, then turned to each other and started to laugh.

They shared a few more kissed, both in considerably higher spirits that they had been previously, before Remus composed himself sufficiently to speak, his arms still wrapped possessively around Sirius's neck.

"I should have secrets more often."

End 

Well, you wanted more, you got more. Hope you like it, despite Lupin's PMS-esque behaviour. If you did enjoy this, I have another S/R fic that may interest you as well.

_Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed Dance with me, you guys cheered me up on the day I went back to school after summer with your wonderful comments. I love you all!_

_Oh, and although my fiction doesn't seem to show it, I actually love Tonks. She's adorable, and one of the few people who breaks more things than I do. What I wouldn't give for a Reparo spell at work sometimes…_

_And another note, added after a review I got the other day. Apparently I'm not making things clear enough, but I thought it was pretty obvious that Remus's secret is that he's in love with Sirius. Sorry if that confused anyone. And, in response to another question, there isn't a plot. That's not the point. It's just a little pointless scene._

_Whoops, just one more thing, **Uld Ases**, you can do whatever you want to this just as long as you give credit where it's due. Glad you liked it! _


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